Hello,

Many today find themselves wondering how they will ever get in shape and lose the extra weight their carrying around. I am here to help. You may have tried many diets in the past and have seen results only to find yourself back in that old rut of gaining it back again. There are literally thousands of diets out there and you probably have many books and articles in your own home on dieting. We are bombarded in the media on how to eat right. So my focus is on physical activities because my guess is, you could already write your own book on dieting. There are so many fun activities people can engage in and all it takes is a little research and maybe a few phone calls and you can fill your free time with fun physical activities that will get you in shape. For instance, bicycling, dancing, kayaking, hiking, walking, tennis, swimming, and so on just to name a few. You can make getting healthy and in shape fun by creating a healthy and fit lifestyle.

Finding the time in this fast pace world can be a challenge so we have to see how we value our health and fitness. Is there anything more valuable than when you look your best and feel your best? How much TV do we watch everyday? How much do we play video games or sit on the internet everyday? Yes, these things are fun and enjoyable but they don't require physical activity. So what if you could take a percentage of this spare time and fill it with fun physical activities that you really enjoy doing? When you find yourself becoming active and seeing results, it's easier to keep in mind the things you already know about eating. It's like putting the horse before the cart.

I urge everyone to start out by taking a walk in the morning. Make it the very first thing you do. Jerk on some clothes, make some coffee if you'd like and take a brisk walk in your neighborhood. It's not important how long but it's creating the habit that counts. In fact if we are not use to physical excersize, then we need to start out slow and increase it with time. Make a list of all the fun activities you like to do. Yes, right now, take a piece of paper and right down the fun activities you've done in the past and the activities you've never done but have always wanted to do. Next, google search every activity on your list and get a phone number from a club or association involved with that activity and call it or email it and ask how you can become involved. The goal here is to fill every day with at least an hour of physical exercise through fun activities.

Here is an example of how easy it can be. This is just an example because it's my own story but there can be so many different scenarios. I got up in the morning and walked about 20 minutes. After work, I rode a bike on many different greenways about 45 minutes a day. That increased now to about 1 hour and 15 minutes . I joined a hiking club and go on a hike in the mountains about twice a month. They ranged from 2 to 4 hours on a Saturday. I took a dance lesson on Saturday nights and danced afterwards about 2 to 3 hours. I joined a county recreation center and started alternating my bicycle riding with strength training. This winter, I am considering joining an indoor swim center close to where I live.

Nutrition is important. Most all diets have many things in common. Eat veggies and fruits. Stay away from processed foods. Eat slowly. Drink a lot of water. Eat more chicken and fish and limit your red meat. Cut back on pops and or alcohol beverages. I can tell you, these things become easy to accomplish with an active lifestyle. Have you ever tried to just sit around and drink a gallon of water? It's easy when you are riding a bike or dancing or hiking or kayaking.

So putting it all together. Make a form of exercise the first thing you do in the morning by walking or maybe following along on some early morning yoga program or fitness program on TV. I think in the long run, a brisk walk in the morning is the best. Make it a goal to fill everyday, by searching the web, with at least an hour a day of activities starting out. Get involved with a number of activities to accomplish this. Make the time for this. Value your health and fitness. It's the most valuable asset you'll ever own.

" When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot become manifest, strength cannot be exerted, wealth is useless, and reason is powerless." - Herophiles